Columbus to Americus CG route activity

I am curious as to the current level of activity on the trackage between Columbus and Americus. This old CG route shows up now as Georgia Southwestern RR, a division of Railtex. The line goes on thru Americus to Albany. Can anyone in the vicinity give a thumbnail sketch as to the frequency of trains, customers served, or equipment used on this strech of track? Many thanks.

Answers

RailAmerica (former Railtex) Georgia Southwestern RR now owner/leases
the track from Muscogee Jct in Columbus, Ga to B,V&E jct just north
of Americus. They use trackage rights in Americus yard and on the NS
Macon-Albany main to reach NS-Albany yard (and GA&FL Railnet) and to
get to the former Georgia and Alabama RR (GAAB) Smithville-Eufala
line. The State of Georgia kicked GSWR off the former east-west SAL
line Rhine-Cordele-Americus-Preston-Richland-Cottonton in favor of
designated operator service of the Heart of Georgia RR which is now
based in the former SAL yard (and GSWR HQ) near the Georgia
Southwestern campus. GSWR runs a turn out of Smithville to Columbus
and back, looping down to Albany and back to Smithville. The train
runs as needed, usually on a daily routine and mainly picks up rock
cars at Columbus for Vulcan in Bainbridge and chips from Columbus
north for the CIRR. Also there is a little bit of traffic
originating and terminating in Columbus, including pulpwood from
Gilman Paper in Cusseta, GA and tanks for DSI distribution near the
new Columbus, Ga auditorium. The roster is 1 SW-1200, 2 SD-9s, 3
chopped-nosed former NW GP-40s, three GP-38M-3s, I ex-Chessie GP-38
and one ex-MKT GP-40. They had a former MATE slug until earlier this
year when the sent it to the Virginia Southern RR. They also own
some cylindrical and PS grain cars, some ex-CLC centrebeam lumber
cars, former ACL pulpwood cars and some 50ft boxcars. They had a
former SOU bay caboose under the GAAB until a couple of years back.
It resides in a scrap yard near Tom's Peanuts in Columbus, victim of
a roll-over derailment. Trains to Columbus rate 3-4 GP units from
the above roster. The SD units get in the mix too. The MATE was a
staple on the train until it left.

The last time I checked, which was several months ago, only Georgia
Southwestern was using the track- I believe once in each direction
daily. NS B'ham-Florida traffic was making a long swing up the line
to Macon (though some trains may have cut back toward the original
route at Ft. Valley), though I keep hearing rumors that NS will make
a deal with the shortline to get back on the Columbus-Americus
stretch. The last time I saw the shortline's WB train, it was parked
on the main at Ellaville for several hours w/o crew, so there must
not have even been a chance of any other traffic.